Coin-value senser and counter and coin-controlled meter



July 21, 1964 M. GOODMAN 3,141,533

COIN-VALUE SENSER AND COUNTER COIN-CONTROLLED METER Filed Jan. 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MORRIS 6000mm BY July 21, 1964 M. GOODMAN 3,141,538

COIN-VALUE SENSER AND COUNTER COIN-CONTROLLED METER Filed Jan. 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

Moms 6000mm BY A-Horney United States Patent ()fi ice 3,141,538 Patented July 21, 1964 3,141,533 CGlN-VALUE SENSER AND CUUNTER AND QGIN-CONTRQLLED METER Morris Goodman, 30 W. Court St., Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Jan. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 83,514 Claims. (Cl. 194-8) The present invention relates to a coin-value senser and counter, and the primary object of the invention is to provide improved and simplified means whereby coins of varying denominations, when fed successively to a common chute, will be evaluated and counted by means of signals of varying frequency and/or intensity, determined by the diameter of each coin, and transmitted to a suitable computer. A further object of the invention is to provide, in such a mechanism, means for diverting slugs which vary in efiective diameter from genuine coins, Without permitting such slugs to efiect actuation of the counting mechanism.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanyling drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

FIG. 1 is a fragmental, somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a coin chute equipped with mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts being shown in section for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram illustrating the electrical features of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated a coin chute having a mouth 11, the chute and mouth being so dimensioned as to accept coins of any denomination standard in the country in which the device is to be installed. As will be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2, the chute is so proportioned that coins fed into its mouth 11 will always be held, within the chute, in an attitude in which the coin diameter will extend perpendicularly with respect to one side wall 12 of the chute, which side wall is inclined slightly from the vertical. Thus, coins fed to the chute mouth 11 Will slide down the length of the chute always in contact with the inner surface of the inclined wall 12.

Preferably, the chute 10 will be formed of electricallyconductive material; but Whether or not the entire chute is so formed, at least the lowermost region of the inner surface of the wall 12 must be electrically conductive.

Adjacent said region, the chute is formed with a port 13 through which extends a door 14, said door being hingedly mounted upon an axle 15 disposed within the port 13. The door 14 is movable, about the axis of the axle 15, between its solid line position in which it will arrest a coin 16 falling through the chute 1t), and its dotted line position in which it will permit such a coin to pass.

The end 14' of the door extends outside the chute; and motor means such as the solenoid 17 having an armature 18 is mounted adjacent the chute with its armature operatively connected, as at 19, to the projecting end 14 of said door. The solenoid 17 is so constructed and arranged that, upon energization of its coil 170, its armature 18 will be retracted to shift the door 14 from its solid line position to its dotted line position, and upon deenergization the door will be returned to its coin-arrecting, solid line position.

The wall of the chute 10 opposite the wall 12 is ported as at 20, and a lever or feeler 21 is hingedly mounted at its upper end upon a rocker 22 positioned in the port 20, whereby the lower end 23 of said lever may swing toward and away from the wall 12. As is clearly shown in FIG. 1, said lever end 23 is disposed closely adjacent the coin-arresting position of the door 14.

Mounted adjacent the chute is a further motor means which may comprise a solenoid 24 having an armature 25. The solenoid 24 is so constructed and arranged that, upon energization of its coil 24C, its armature 25 will be projected. Said armature 25 is operatively connected at 26 to swing the lever 21; and the solenoid is so constructed as to include spring means (not shown) which will retract the armature 25, upon deenergization of the coil 24C, to move the lever 21 to its dotted line position.

The door 14, or at least that portion of its surface which will be engaged by an arrested coin, is formed of electrically-conductive material electrically insulated from the conductive surface of the wall 12; but said surfaces are connected in a circuit including the coil 24C of the solenoid 24, which circuit is closed whenever a coin 16 rests upon said door and in contact with the wall 12. Closure of said circuit energizes the coil 24C of the solenoid 24 to project the armature 25 to swing the lower end 23 of the lever 21 toward the wall 12. Such movement of the lever will be arrested by the coin 16; and the point in its path at which it will be arrested will, of course, be determined by the diameter of the coin currently resting on the door 14.

Arranged adjacent the chute 10 is a bank of contacts. The lever 21 carries brush means 29 arranged to sweep said contacts successively as the lever end 23 moves between its limiting positions. Said contacts comprise a first group consisting, for instance, of contacts 27a, 27b, 27c and 27d between which are interdigitated a second group of contacts 28. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the contact 2711 is so positioned that, when the lower end 23 of the lever 21 is stopped by a dime resting on the door 14, the brush 29 will rest in engagement with said contact 27a, when the lever end engages a nickel the brush will rest on the contact 27!),

' when a quarter is encountered by the lever end the brush will rest on the contact 27c and when a half dollar stops the lever the brush will rest on the contact 27d. If a slug or spurious coin having a diameter differing from that of a genuine coin is encountered by the lever end, however, the lever will be stopped with the brush resting on one of the contacts 28 of the second group.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the contacts of the first group are connected in parallel in circuits, each of which in cludes time delay means comprising a coil 36, a condenser 37 and a resistance 38 as well as the coil 17C of the solenoid 17. Each contact of the first group, furthermore, is so designed that, when the brush 22 electrically engages it, the appropriate coil 36 will be energized to actuate its associated relay 36' to transmit a distinctive signal to a computer mechanism 43 to register the value of the coin currently engaged by the feeler 21.

The contacts 28 of the second group are connected in parallel in a circuit which includes time delay means comprising a coil 41, a condenser 39 and a resistance 40, said circuit including also the coil 17C of the solenoid 17 and the coil 34C of a solenoid 34.

The arrangement is such that, as the brush 29 moves quickly across the bank of contacts from or toward the fully retracted position of the lever 21, the condensers 37 and 39 prevent momentary actuation of the solenoids 17 and 34; but when the lever has reached a stop position in engagement with a coin supported on the door 14, the appropriate signal will be given to the computer and the solenoid 17 will be energized to rock the door 14 to its broken line position, whereby the energizing circuit for the motor 24 will be broken, feeler 21 will be spring-retracted and the coin will fall past said door 14.

As the lever 21 is so retracted, the circuit through the lever 21 and brush 2 will be broken to deenergize the solenoid 17; and the door 14 will be returned to its solid line position.

A barrier 33 is carried upon the armature of a spring retracted solenoid 34 adjacent the chute 19 and at a point substantially spaced downstream from the door 14. Said barrier is movable, through a slot 32 in the rear wall of the chute, between the diverting position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2 and a retracted position, indicated by broken lines, in which said barrier is wholly outside the chute. When the barrier 33 is in its withdrawn position, a coin falling past the door 14 will pass through a continuation 31 of the chute into a coin box (not shown); but when the barrier is in its diverting position, such a coin will be diverted by the barrier to fall through a reject branch 30.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, energization of the coil 34C of the solenoid 34 will project the armature 35 to shift the barrier 33 into diverting position; and, as has been explained hereinabove, the said coil 34C will be energized whenever the brush is stopped in engagement with one of the contacts 28 of the second group. It will be apparent, however, that through an obvious modification in the wiring diagram, the barrier might be arranged to rest normally in its diverting position and to be retracted only when a genuine coin is passed through the mechanism.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 1, when the feeler 21 is in its fully retracted or broken line position, the brush 29 will rest in engagement with an inactive surface 42 at the lefthand end of the bank of contacts.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a coin chute constructed and arranged to provide an inclined side wall, a door hinged adjacent said wall to extend into said chute to a coin-blocking position angularly related to said wall, motor means operatively connected to rock said door to coin-releasing position, a lever disposed in spaced, facing relation to said wall with its upper end hinged and its lower end disposed adjacent the level of said door hinge and swingable toward and away from said Wall, motor means operatively connected to swing the lower end of said lever toward said wall, said wall and said door having electrically-conductive surfaces mutually engageable by a coin in said chute resting on said door, said conductive surfaces being electrically insulated from each other but connected in a circuit, closed by such a coin in such mutual engagement therewith, to energize said lever-swinging motor means, a bank of electrically-separated first contacts arranged adjacent said lever, brush means carried by said lever and constructed and arranged to sweep said contacts successively as said lever swings toward said wall, said contacts being so spaced that a coin of any denomination resting on said door will stop said lever with said brush means in engagement with a corresponding one of said contacts, a bank of second contacts interdigitated with said first contacts to be swept by said brush means, said second contacts being so spaced that a slug resting on said door and having a diameter different from that of a genuine coin will stop said lever with said brush means in engagement with one of said second contacts, each of said first contacts being connected in a circuit including said brush means and including also time deiay means, for actuating said door-rocking motor means and for actuating counter mechanism, a barrier projectile into said chute at a point downstream from said door, and motor means for projecting said barrier into slug-diverting position, each of said contacts being connected in a circuit including said brush means and including also time delay means, for actuating said door-rocking motor means and 4 said barrier-projecting motor means without actuating said counter mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described, a coin chute constructed and arranged to provide an inclined side wall, a door-hinged adjacent said wall to extend into said chute to a coin-blocking position angularly related to said wall, motor means operatively connected to rock said door to coin-releasing position, a lever disposed in spaced, facing relation to said wall with its upper end hinged and its lower end disposed adjacent the level of said door hinge and swingable toward and away from said wall, motor means operatively connected to swing the lower end of said lever toward said Wall, said wall and said door having electrically-conductive surfaces mutually engageable by a coin in said chute resting. on said door, said conductive surfaces being electrically insulated from each other but connected in a circuit, closed by such a coin in such mutual engagement therewith, to energize said lever-swinging motor means, a bank of electrically-separated contacts arranged adjacent said lever, brush means carried by said lever and constructed and arranged to sweep said contacts successively as said lever swings toward said Wall, said contacts being so spaced that a coin of any denomination resting on said door will stop said lever with said brush means in engagement with a corresponding one of said contacts, each of said contacts being con nected in a circuit including said brush means and including also time delay means, for actuating said doorrocking motor means and for actuating counter mechanism.

3. In a device of the class described, a coin chute constructed and arranged to provide an inclined side wall against which a coin will engage by gravity as it moves down said chute, a door hinged adjacent said wall to extend into said chute to a coin-blocking position angularly related to said wall, motor means operatively connected to rock said door to coin-releasing position, feeler means disposed in opposed, facing, speed relation to said wall closely upstream relative to the coin-blocking position of said door, motor means operatively connected to move said feeler means toward said wall, said wall and said door having electrically-conductive surfaces mutually engageable by a coin in said chute resting on said door, said conductive surfaces being electrically insulated from each other but connected in a cricuit, closed by such a coin in such mutual engagement therewith, to energize said feeler means moving motor means, said feeler means being constructed and arranged to be stopped in a predetermined poisition by a coin resting on said door, depending on the diameter of such coin, and means moving with said feeler means and effective to actuate counter mechanism to an appropriate degree when stopped by a coin of any one of a plurality of predetermined diameters, and concurrently to actuate said door-rocking motor means.

4. The device of claim 3 including a barrier projectible into said chute at a point downstream from said door, and motor means for projecting said barrier into slugdiverting position, said means moving with said feeler means further being eifective to actuate said door-rocking motor means and said barrier-projecting motor means, without actuating said counter mechanism, when stopped by a slug resting on said door and having a diameter diflerent from that of a genuine coin.

5. In a device of the class described, a coin chute constructed and arranged to provide an inclined side wall, a door hinged adjacent said wall to extend into said chute to a coin-blocking position angularly related to said wall,

motor means operatively connected to rock said door to coin-releasing position, a lever disposed in spaced, facing relation to said wall with its upper end hinged and its lower end disposed adjacent the level of said door hinge and swingable toward and away from said wall, motor means operatively connected to swing the lower end of said lever toward said wall, said wall and said door having electrically-conductive surfaces mutually engageable by a coin in said chute resting on said door; said conductive surfaces being electrically insulated from each other but connected in a circuit, closed by such a coin in such mutual engagement therewith, to energize said lever-swinging motor means, a bank of electrically-separated first contacts arranged adjacent said lever, brush means carried by said lever and constructed and arranged to sweep said contacts successively as said lever swings toward said Wall, said contacts being so spaced that a coin of any denomination resting on said door will stop said lever with said brush means in engagement with a corresponding one of said contacts, a bank of second contacts interdigitated with said first contacts to be swept by said brush means, said second contacts being so spaced that a slug resting on said door and having a diameter different from that of a genuine coin will stop said lever with said brush means in engagement with one of said second contacts, each of said first contacts being connected in a circuit including said brush means and including also time delay means, for actuating said door-rocking motor means and for actuating counter mechanism, a barrier mounted adjacent Said chute at point downstream from said door and movable between a slug-diverting position within said chute and a withdrawn position outside said chute, motor means for moving said barrier from one its positions to the other, and energizing means for said last-named motor means so dominated by said brush means that said barrier assumes its diverting position when said brush means stops one one of said second contacts and assumes its widthdrawn position when said brush means stops on one of said first contacts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,592,644 Prina July 13, 1926 2,318,520 Patzer et a1. May 4, 1943 2,661,827 Munz et al Dec. 8, 1953 2,665,791 Caruso Ian. 12, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE I OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,14%538 July 21 1964 Morris Goodman It is hereby certified-that erroreppears in theabove numbered patent req'iiring correction and that that-said Letters Patent should read as corrected below. 7

Column I lines 31 and 72 forcoin-arresting" read coin-arresting column 3 line 70 for, 'projectile" read projectible line 73 after "said" insert second column 6 line 2 after "at" insert =a 5 line 9 for "one", first occurrence read .-----on g Signed and sealed this 17th day of November 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A COIN CHUTE CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE AN INCLINED SIDE WALL, A DOOR HINGED ADJACENT SAID WALL TO EXTEND INTO SAID CHUTE TO A COIN-BLOCKING POSITION ANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID WALL, MOTOR MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ROCK SAID DOOR TO COIN-RELEASING POSITION, A LEVER DISPOSED IN SPACED, FACING RELATION TO SAID WALL WITH ITS UPPER END HINGED AND ITS LOWER END DISPOSED ADJACENT THE LEVEL OF SAID DOOR HINGE AND SWINGABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID WALL, MOTOR MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SWING THE LOWER END OF SAID LEVER TOWARD SAID WALL, SAID WALL AND SAID DOOR HAVING ELECTRICALLY-CONDUTIVE SURFACES MUTUALLY ENGAGEABLE BY A COIN IN SAID CHUTE RESTING ON SAID DOOR, SAID CONDUCTIVE SURFACES BEING ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER BUT CONNECTED IN A CIRCUIT, CLOSED BY SUCH A COIN IN SUCH MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, TO ENERGIZE SAID LEVER-SWINGING MOTOR MEANS, A BANK OF ELECTRICALLY-SEPARATED FIRST CONTACTS ARRANGED ADJACENT SAID LEVER, BRUSH MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LEVER AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO SWEEP SAID CONTACTS SUCCESSIVELY AS SAID LEVER SWINGS TOWARD SAID WALL, SAID CONTACTS BEING SO SPACED THAT A COIN OF ANY DENOMINATION RESTING ON SAID DOOR WILL STOP SAID LEVER WITH SAID BRUSH MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID CONTACTS, A BANK OF SECOND CONTACTS INTERDIGITATED WITH SAID FIRST CONTACTS TO BE SWEPT BY SAID BRUSH MEANS, SAID SECOND CONTACTS BEING SO SPACED THAT A SLUG RESTING ON SAID DOOR AND HAVING A DIAMETER DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF A GENUINE COIN WILL STOP SAID LEVER WITH SAID BRUSH MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID SECOND CONTACTS, EACH OF SAID FIRST CONTACTS BEING CONNECTED IN A CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID BRUSH MEANS AND INCLUDING ALSO TIME DELAY MEANS, FOR ACTUATING SAID DOOR-ROCKING MOTOR MEANS AND FOR ACTUATING COUNTER MECHANISM, A BARRIER PROJECTILE INTO SAID CHUTE AT A POINT DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID DOOR, AND MOTOR MEANS FOR PROJECTING SAID BARRIER INTO SLUG-DIVERTING POSITION, EACH OF SAID CONTACTS BEING CONNECTED IN A CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID BRUSH MEANS AND INCLUDING ALSO TIME DELAY MEANS, FOR ACTUATING SAID DOOR-ROCKING MOTOR MEANS AND SAID BARRIER-PROJECTING MOTOR MEANS WITHOUT ACTUATING SAID COUNTER MECHANISM. 